Selective switching system



Feb. 21,1933. A. J. MACY SELECTIVE SWITCHING SYSTEM Original Filed Sept. 2, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l ZYYVEEZZ"? [217T flifred fwagy.

Feb. 21, 1933. J MACY 1,898,305

SELECTIVE SWITCHING SYSTEM Original Filed Sept. 2, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb. 21, 1933 TED- T T PATENT OFFICE ALFRED J. MACY, or nvens ron, ILLINoIs, ASSIGNOR TO BARITONE RADIO CORPORATION, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPOBATIQN or ILLINOIS SELECTIVE SWITCHING SYSTEM Original application filed. September 2,1930, Serial m5. 479,128. Divided and. this August 28, 1931. Serial No'.559,842.

My invention relates to an electric switching system for use in connection with a program distributing system in hotels, and the like, so that the hotel clerk may selectively connect a guest to a telephone transmitter to receive messages from the clerk, or to a program distributing system to which the guest may selectively connect his loudspeaker to listen to any one of a number of programs.

, ranged in gangs to concentrate the control of a plurality of electric circuits and apparatus, and bearing indicia to guide an operator in his operation of the switches.

It is an important object of my invention to provide simple and inexpensive means whereby a hotel clerk may, by simply throwing a switch, connect his telephone transmitter in circuit with the loudspeaker of a single guest, connect the guest to a program distributing system to which the guest may connect his loudspeaker by selector switch means under his owncontrol to listen to any one of a number of programs, or disconnect the guest from the program distributing system.

It is also an important obj ect of my invention to arrange the switches for connecting the hotel clerk with each guest individually in gangs to conserve space and concentrate the control of the switches, and to place adj acent each switch removable indicia means to be suitably placed by the hotel clerk to remind him of calls to be made, or to indicate the condition of the controlled circuits.

This application is a division of an application entitled Electric switch, filed by me I on September 2nd, 1930, Serial No. 479,128.

Other and important objects of this invention will be apparent from the disclosures in the specification and accompanying draw ings.

On the drawings: Figure 1 is an elevational view of a switch,

seen from the right hand, employed in carrying out my invention. a

Figure 2 1s a front elevational view of the swltch.

Figure 3 is a sectional view, with parts in elevation, along line IIIIII of Figure 2.

My invention also relates to switches arapplication filed.

Figure 4; is a sectional view, with parts in elevation, along line IVIV of Figure 3. r Figure 5 is a front elevational view showinga gang of switches assembled on a mounting plate.

' Figure 6 is a sectional view of a detail along line VIVI of Figure 1.

Figure 7 is a diagrammatic showing of electric circuits and apparatus.

As shown on the drawings The numerals 10, Figure 5, indicate a plate upon which switches 11 are mounted as they would ordinarily be ganged and mounted for positioning on the wallof a hotel ofiice so that the hotel clerk may throw the switches to connect any guest individually to a transmitter to deliver messages to the guest, or so that he may connect the guest to a program distributing system to permit the guest to listen, at will, to any one of a number of 7 programs by connecting his loudspeaker to the system wires by a selector switch in his, room and under his control. V

The switch is described fully in my c0- pending application, Serial No. 479,128, entitled Electric switch, filed on September 2nd, 1930, and this application is a division; of the application so identified- Each of the switches 11 comprises a channeled metal stamping 12 which is secured to so the plate 10 by eyelets 13 which are entered through apertures 1 1 in the stamping 12, and corresponding apertures in the plate 10. The stampingor saddle 12 has a flat portion 15 to bear against the back of the plate 10, and it has a slot 16 in which a switch lever 17 is movable. The saddle 12 has rearwardly ex-,;; tending side wings 18 to give support to laminated walls of the switch, and has rearwardly extending arms or brackets 19 between which I plates which form the walls-of the switch are slipped over the reduced ends of a spacing member or sleeve 20, the arms are then placed against the outer face of the outer plates of each wall, and a rivet 21 is then passed through the sleeve 20 and apertures in the arms 19, and the assembled elements are then clamped together by upsetting the ends of the rivet 21 against the outer face of the arms 19.

The manner in which the switch is formed of laminated plates is described in my copending application, Serial No. 437,998, entitled Electric switches, and filed on March 22nd, 1930.

The walls of the switch comprise thin plates of insulating material and or several difierent shapes. Numerals 22, Figures 1 and 3 indicate the outer plate of the wall on the left side, and upon this plate impedance coils 23 are riveted, facing inwardly, to the right.

All of the plates are centrally apertured to receive thimbles 24: which form bearings and spaced guides for a stub shaft 25. A switch lever 17 is suitably secured to the shaft 25.

Arms 26, of insulating material, are secured to the shaft, and they are held in spaced relation to each other by short pieces of metal tubing 27 having reduced end portions extending through apertures in the arms and upset. A pair of thimbles 23 are arranged telescopically within the tubing 27 and are pressed apart by a sprin 2S) housed by them.

The thimbles 28 engage, at one side, with a contact plate 30 which is stain )ed to present upstanding integral cups 31. The plate 30 is suitably placed between the insulating plates of a. switch wall with the cups 31 projecting through apertures in the innermost plate, and with an integral wing portion 32 extending for connection to wires.

As best shown in Figure 6, a springy arm 33 is secured on one wall of the switch and extends in the path of the movable arms 26 to contact with a contact stud 34 positioned in the opposite wall of the switch.

The contact stud 34 is alined with a cup 31 so that a circuit may be closed when the thimbles 28 connect them. It will be observed. that when the switch arms 26 have been moved to bring the thimbles in contact with the stud 3-1 and a cup 31 the end of the arm raises the springy arm 33 out of contact with its stud, so that when the main switch contacts are closed the auxiliary switch contacts are open, and vice versa.

The switch has a pair of spaced plates 30 on one wall, and a number of radially spaced contact studs 34 on the other wall and it will now be clear that it the two plates are connected to the two terminals of a loud speaker and axially alined studs 34 be connected in pairs to pairs of wires leading to several different electrical devices, each device may be selectively connected to the loudspeaker.

In Figure 7 I have shown diagrammatically circuits and apparatus which may be selectively brought into cooperative relation by means of the switch described or by equivalent switch means.

A suitable selector switch 35 is placed in the guests room for selective connection with any pair of wires 36 forming trunk lines connecting the rooms of the hotel with several radio receivers 37 or the like.

The output terminals of the switch 35 are connected by wires 38 to a pair of switch contacts 34 of switch 11. A loudspeaker 39, in the guests room, is connected by wires 40 to contact plates 30 of the switch. A. telephone transmitter, indicated generally by numerals 42, or the like, is connected by wires l1 to contacts 34. It will now be clear that by suitable throwing the switch arm 17 the hotel clerk may connect the guest to the transmitter so that he may call him in the morning, or page him, and may connect him to the selector switch 35 to enable him to use the program distributing system.

VYhen the loudspeaker 39 is disconnected from the trunk lines 36 the springy arm 33 makes contact with a stud 3 1, in a manner already described, and an impedance coil 23 may be connected to the arm 33 and a contact stud so that upon movement of the switch to open the loudspeaker-selector switch circuit the impedance coil is substituted for the loudspeaker to maintain the load on the trunk lines. 1 find it advantageous to insert an electrical indicating device as in the circuit in series with or in lieu of the impedance coil 23 to visually indicate the position of the switch lever 1'? at some remote point. The switches 17 would usually be turned to the oil position when the rooms were vacant, and the visual indicating means connected in circuit by the auxiliary switch would enable one at aglance to note the vacant rooms.

Of course, the switch may be in the oil? position because the guest does not desire connection with the program distributin system, but the percentage of guests not desiring such service usually low, and for most purposes the indications would be of value in providing at a glance information as to the extent to which the room space of the hotel is rented. Removable indicia means, such as suitably colored pins 44 may be inserted in the eyelets 13 to remind the operator to call a guest in the morning, or to remind him of the fact that the guest is connected with the transmitter or equivalent service.

The arrangement indicated diagrammatically is of particular value in calling a large number of guests in the morning. When the switch is in the transmitter position, a number of guests to be called at the same hour are connected to a common transmitter trunk, tl e hour is given, and information as to the weather etc. is given at the same time. Thus a single operator may readily do what heretofore required the services of a relatively large stall of telephone operators in large hotels, for the calling service is usually a peak load on the hotel telephone system.

The arrangement described has been found useful in educational institutions in that students in any one room, or group of rooms, may be addressed from a central point; and a given room may be disconnected from the program distributing system, or connected to the system to permit selection of a program by the instructor in charge of the room.

When the guest is disconnected from the trunk lines connected to the transmitter 42 an impedance coil 23 is connected in parallel with the trunk lines, by movement of the auxiliary switch arm, as already described, to maintain the load on the lines.

It will be evident that in the application of my invention to hotels I have made it possible for the management to connect a guest with, or disconnect him from, the program distributing system, and to Welcome him, or otherwise address him, individually, in his room.

While I have described the application of my invention to hotels because it was conceived to make possible an extended service to the guests of hotels and apartment hotels, it will be understood that it is applicable in many similar situations.

I am aware that many changes may be madeand numerous details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention, and I therefore do not purpose limiting the patent granted hereon otherwise than necessitated by the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

1. A program distributing system for hotels, and the like, comprising a plurality of sound sources, a reproducer in the room of a guest, circuits extending between each of said sound sources and the room of the guest, selector switch means in the room for connection at will to said sound sources through a selected circuit, a transmitter and switch means at a point remote from the room for control by the hotel staff, wires connecting said remote switch to said selector switch and said reproducer, said remote switch being operable to selectively connect the reproducer to said selector switch or to said transmitter at will without afi'ecting the connection of other guests connected to the system, and means in circuit connection with said selector switch operable upon movement of said remote switch to indicate movement of said switch.

2. In a program distributing system including sound sources and circuits extending from the sound sources to a plurality of subscribers, a reproducer, selector switch means operable at will by a subscriber for connection to said sound sources through a selected circuit, a transmitter, switch means at a point remote from the subscriber, said remote switch means being connected in series with said reproducer and being operable at will to selectively connect said reproducer to said selector switch or to said transmitter, removable indicia means on said remote switch to indicate a desired sequence of operations of the switch, and means in circuit connection with said selector switch actuated by movement of said remote switch to indicate a position of said switch at a point remote from said switch.

3. A program distributing system for lector switch and said remote switch, a circuit extending between said reproducer and said remote switch, said remote switch being operable to selectively connect said reproducer to said transmitter or to said selector switch at will.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name at Chicago, Cook County,

Illinois.

ALFRED J. MACY. 

